John H. O’Neil, retired presiding judge of the second District Court in Fall River, passed away Monday, August 19, 2013 at Southcoast Hospital in Fall River. Born and raised in St. Peter and Paul’s Parish, he was a lifelong resident of the City. He was the husband of the late Pauline Gallant O’Neil, the son of the late Henry F. and Margaret Conroy O’Neil; and brother of the late Francis J. O’Neil, the late Margaret Crowley, and the late Kathleen Liberi.

Before his appointment to the bench (by former Governor Edward King), Judge O’Neil practiced law in Fall River for twenty seven years. Along with his Partnership with John F. O’Donoghue, in the firm of O’Donoghue and O’Neil, he was a special assistant attorney general, and prior to these positions he was an assistant Superior Court magistrate. His dedication to the law was matched by his dedication to his community through his long time active involvement with the Boys and Girls Club of Fall River, and his former service as a city councilor.

Among his many interests, his lengthy membership in the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and his devotion to golf and the Mountaup Country Club stand out. His faith was a great comfort to him, particularly in the more challenging recent years.

He raised his family in Sacred Heart Parish, after that became a parishioner of Holy Name Parish. In acknowledgement of his legal accomplishments and his religious faith, he was awarded the Thomas More Medal by the Fall River Diocese.

He graduated from Providence College and Suffolk University Law School. His greatest loves were his late wife Pauline, and his family, which includes seven children, eight grandchildren, two sons-in-law, and two daughters–in law. His most obvious attributes were his enduring will, his commitment to fairness, and his willingness to sacrifice all for his family. He will be missed.

He is survived by his daughters, Attorney Mary O’Neil of Fall River, Dr. Margaret O’Neil of Philadelphia, Polly Feitelberg and her husband John along with their children John Henry, Hannah, Ben, and Paulina, all of Fall River; and Kate Genthner and her husband Scot of Fairhaven. He is also survived by his sons, the Honorable John C. O’Neil, Clerk Magistrate of the Fall River District Court and his wife JoAnne of Fall River, along with their children Leah Rachael, and John Andrew; Brian O’Neil and his wife Lori, along with their daughter Annie, all of Dartmouth; Brendan O’Neil of Salt Lake City, Utah. He is also survived by his sisters Grace Edwards of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Cornelia Gallant of Fall River, as well as many nieces and nephews.

His funeral will take place on Thursday August 22, 2013 at 9 a.m. from the WARING-SULLIVAN HOME OF MEMORIAL TRIBUTE AT CHERRY PLACE 178 Winter St., followed by a funeral mass at 10 a.m. in Holy Name Church, 709 Hanover St. Burial in St. Patrick Cemetery. Visiting hours Wed. 4-8 p.m. Donations may be made to the Thomas Chew Memorial Boys and Girls Club of Fall River 803 Bedford St. Fall River, MA. 02720. Tributes and directions visit www.waring-sullivan.com.

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Raymond Francisco

TAUNTON -- Raymond Francisco, 69, of Taunton, MA passed into eternal life after a short illness on August 18, 2013 surrounded by his loving family. Born in Fall River, MA on August 13, 1944, he was the loving son of Agnes (Francisco) Chartier and the late Adelino Francisco. Raymond was a graduate of Somerset High School and the Southeastern Massachusetts Technical Institute which later became the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. For most of his married life, he resided in Berkley Massachusetts before moving to Taunton in 1999. Raymond was employed for more than thirty years as an Engineer for the United States Army Corps of Engineers until he retired in 2000. He served in this position proudly, working on multiple projects including acting as Project Manager for the Cape Cod Canal dredging project that was required for the Boston Harbor Navigation Improvement Project. He was awarded the Hammer Award from the National Partnership for Reinventing Government for his work on this project. Ray’s most cherished time was that which he spent surrounded by his loving family including his wife, Monica with whom he shared the best forty-six years of his life; his son Raymond L. Francisco and his wife Jennifer (Potoczak), and his daughter Kristen R. Francisco all of Taunton. Ray was the proud grandfather of four grandchildren who adored him almost as much as he adored them. He will be greatly missed by Maggie, Caroline, Matthew and Connor. Ray served his community in many ways. Ray was an active member of the Sacred Heart Parish in Taunton, MA for over thirty years where he served as a member of the parish council as well as a Eucharistic minister. He was proud to join St. Jude the Apostle Parish during his retired years and enjoyed continuing his service to the church as a Eucharistic Minister. In addition to serving as the Chairman of the Berkley School Building Committee for the building of the Berkley Community School, he also served as the treasurer of the Berkley Scholarship Fund and as a member of the Berkley Zoning Board of Appeals. Ray was always ready to pitch in and help anyone in need, and was generous with his time and talents. Ray enjoyed traveling with his wife Monica to places far and near such as Newport and Cape Cod as well as Portugal, Hawaii and Italy. He was also thrilled to take a Caribbean Cruise with his children and grandchildren last year. His gracious spirit, hearty laugh and kind smile will be missed by all who knew him. He has been a blessing to all that he encountered throughout his life. Visiting Hours will be held on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 at the Crapo-Hathaway Funeral Home, 350 Somerset Avenue, Taunton, MA from 4:00-7:00p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Jude the Apostle Church 249 Whittenton Street, Taunton, MA on Thursday, August 22, 2013 at 11:00a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Berkley Scholarship Fund c/o Byron Holmes 622 Berkley Street, Berkley, MA 02779. To light a candle, get directions or to access the memorial register go to www.hathawayfunerals.com.

She leaves a brother, Reginald Roy of Texas; her companion Frederick Govain; stepchildren including Paul Durette and his wife Janet and Donald Durette and his wife Beverly and nieces and nephews. She was the daughter of the late Antonio Roy and Leontine (Cloutier) Roy-Labonte and the sister of the late Lucien Roy and Marcel Roy.

Her funeral will be held Friday at 8:00 AM from the AUCLAIR FUNERAL HOME, 690 So. Main St., Fall River, with a funeral mass at St. Bernadette Church at 9:00 AM. Entombment, Notre Dame Cemetery Mausoleum.

Visitation, Thursday 4:00 to 8:00 PM. LARGE PARKING AREA and BARRIER-FREE ENTRANCE at the rear of funeral home. Donations, in lieu of flowers, to Clifton Patient Activities Fund, 500 Wilbur Ave, Somerset MA 02725, appreciated. Online guest book at AuclairFuneralHome.com.

Doris was born in Fall River, a daughter of the late Wilfred and Louise (Deveau) Valley.

Before retirement, Mrs. Montie was a Housekeeper for several local families. Most recently, she was a volunteer at Charlton Hospital.

She was the sister of Joseph M. Valley of Swansea and Irene DiVincenzo of Taunton. She was also the sister of the late Wilfred Valley.

Her funeral with visitation will be held on WEDNESDAY at 8:30 am from the Hathaway Community Home for Funerals 900 Buffinton St., Somerset, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 am in Saint Thomas More Church, Luther Ave, Somerset. Interment will follow in St. Patrick Cemetery in Somerset. For online expressions of sympathy, visit www.hathawayfunerals.com.

Robert J. Kress Jr.

Robert J. Kress, Jr., 78, formerly of Somerset, passed away July 23, 2013 unexpectedly after a brief illness. He was the husband of the late Sylvia (Correira) Kress.

A retired U.S. Navy career serviceman, he served in the military for 22 years. He later worked at Sunoco Gas Station in Ocean Grove for many years.

He is survived by two daughters, Roberta Kaszyk and Cynthia Coates; and a son, Robert J. Kress, III; a sister, Edna Striegal; 6 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his graveside service on Friday at 1:00 p.m. in Newport Memorial Park 123 Howland Ave., Middletown, RI. Arrangements are by the Oliveira Funeral Home 215 Columbia St. Fall River. www.oliveirafuneralhomes.com.